The Way of Gratefulness

The Way of Gratefulness

 Brennan Manning said, “The foremost quality of a trusting disciple is gratefulness.”

Jesus’ words, “I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) shine with the sense that life is to be cherished.

I remind myself of this because I too often grumble.  It is easy to grumble.

Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar said, “We need only to know who and what we really are to break into spontaneous praise and thanksgiving.” God is an amazing creator!  He deserves better than my grumbling.

In Brennan Manning’s book, Ruthless Trust, he says, “Underlying every cry of the grateful sinner is an unshaken trust in the person and promise of Jesus.”

Manning told how (according to studies), the poor give a larger proportion of their income to charity than the rich.  “Should you spend any time with older black women in the Deep South (New Orleans, for instance), you could not help but notice how often they say, ‘Thank you, Jesus,’ throughout the day.”

Brother David Steindl-Rast notes, “The root of joy is gratefulness…It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.”

I notice that I grumble too often.  The antithesis of giving thanks if grumbling.

I’m asking God to help me to trust Him with gratefulness.  I want to say, “Thank you Jesus.” throughout the day.

 Blessings,

 Thora